undread | vin

Children's toys? Why?

[a little baffled, but she sounds honestly curious rather than rude, at least.]

...There's nothing wrong with children's toys. I like children. Besides, dolls keep you company, but they never hurt your feelings or throw rocks at you, so they're easy to talk to.

Do... other people typically throw rocks at you?

Oh, the rocks are usually harmless. Just children playing games. But I would prefer if they didn't.

It sounds unpleasant.

[...]

What else did you receive?

Ah! One of my little creations, actually.

[she will pull out. a dead rat with a bird skull sewed onto his head and little skeletal bird wings with a bright red ribbon around his neck.]

His name is Pâté de Rolo. He's a little gentleman from a very fine family.

[looking at it like ????, but maybe not as disturbed as would be expected.]

How did you keep it from rotting...?

Well. He's preserved a little with magic, but I'm afraid some pieces of him have rotted off. Poor Pâté.

[she starts moving the little rat around and then does an exaggerated cockney voice for him, barely moving her lips.]

My balls fell off!

Pâté! She doesn't want to hear about things like that.

[this might as well happen. there's a moment where she's startled, but she tries not to let it show.]

...A friend of yours, then?

Yes. My dear little familiar.

[she pats him on his little bird skull head.]

[reaching for the normal parts of this conversation, and so:]

How long have you had him?

Years and years. But he's only been alive for a few weeks, now.

[the little rat thing will flutter his bone wing and start to lift off and fly! he does seem to be animated.]